An apology goes a long way
by harryfan160889
Summary: Fem! Harry. Heather apologises to Snape at the end of first year. one shot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Eleven-year-old Heather Lily Potter sat on the bed at the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry deep in thought. The Headmaster had just left after explaining to her about the fate of the Philosopher's Stone. A few minutes later, her best friends, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley entered the Hospital Wing getting Madam Pomfrey to relent and allow them to visit with Heather for a few minutes. Heather had just finished explaining her confrontation with Quirrell and Voldemort to them.

"Ron, what is a Life Debt?" Heather asked her pure-blood friend.

"Er, it is a bond formed between a witch or wizard and the person whose life they saved. The one who owes a debt cannot harm the savior and it is magically binding until they repay the debt someday." Ron said a little confused at the sudden topic of conversation.

"Why are you suddenly interested in Life-Debts, Heather?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Well, it seems that Snape owed a Life-Debt to my dad and they were rivals at school. That is why he hated my dad even more and now hates me. I was also wondering if I owed a Life-Debt to him or you, Hermione for saving me during the Quidditch match." Heather replied.

"Heather, we will have to find out if you really do owe a Life-Debt to anyone. If so, you will have to acknowledge it. Life-Debts are a serious thing in the wizarding world. If you do not acknowledge the debt you owe and it comes out later, you will be ostracized by everyone. And I mean everyone literally because, it will be seen as you not respecting Mother Magic." Ron said seriously.

"Bu- But, how will I know for sure who I owe a Life-Debt to?" Heather asked desperately just as Madam Pomfrey came out.

"It is very simple Ms. Potter. I can perform a diagnostic charm to find out if you have any outstanding Life-Debts." The matron assured her kindly before waving her wand over Heather and then pointing it to a parchment she held in her hand.

Heather glowed a bright golden color when the matron had performed the diagnostic charm and the golden color light shot to the parchment which then folded itself and shot to Heather.

"You will find out the details of any Debts you owe or owed in that parchment. It would only be visible to you and none other." Madam Pomfrey said.

Heather nodded her head as she opened the parchment and sagged in relief as she read it.

 **Heather Lily Potter**

 **Age: 11**

 **Debts Owed by: None**

 **Debts owed to: None**

 **Completed Life Debts: Severus Tobias Snape to James Charlus Potter (transferred to Heather Lily Potter after his death) fulfilled on 24** **th** **November 1991.**

"It looks like the Life Debt Professor Snape owed to my father was transferred to me upon his death which is now completed when the professor saved my life during the Quidditch match." Heather explained to her curious friends.

"That is a relief to know. But you will have to let the Professor know about the debt being resolved formally." Ron said.

"How would I do that?" Heather asked.

"I will ask Percy for the exact wordings and let you know. You can say it privately or publicly. It is your choice." Ron replied comfortingly.

Heather just nodded thoughtfully. She had initially thought she could do it privately and be done with it, but she remembered something she had brushed aside as her imagination but now it seemed to make a little sense. She would have to confirm her suspicion before acting.

 **1 Hour before the leaving feast**

Heather made her way down to the dungeons to the Potions Professor's office nervously. She raised her hand and knocked on the door hesitatingly.

"Enter" came the Professor's voice.

Heather opened the door and hesitated over the threshold for a moment before entering fully and closing the door behind her.

"Potter, what are you doing here?" Snape asked frowning slightly.

"I am sorry for interrupting your work, Professor. But-" Heather hesitated.

"What is it, Potter? I do not have all day to waste, unlike you." Snape snapped.

Heather took a deep breath before she released it and squared her shoulders.

" **I, Heather Lily Potter, hereby acknowledge that the Life-Debt owed by Severus Tobias Snape to James Charlus Potter which was transferred to me has been resolved when he saved my life on 24** **th** **November 1991."** Heather recited the words she had memorized.

Severus Snape was initially irritated when he saw that it was Heather Potter who had interrupted his work, but after hearing the words from the girl's mouth, he just stared in shock unable to reply immediately.

"I would also like to apologize to you for suspecting that you were the one trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone. I have no excuse for that unwarranted suspicion other than my ignorance. I also apologize for not formally acknowledging the resolution of the debt, but I had no idea about Life-Debts or about the one you owed my father until two days back." Heather rushed out to get his piece said before the Professor regained his bearings and threw her out.

Heather fidgeted nervously waiting for her Professor to respond.

" **I, Severus Tobias Snape, hereby thank Heather Lily Potter for her acknowledgement."** Snape said in a monotone. "I will also forgive you the delay as you have rectified the situation as soon as you were aware of it. I will acknowledge your first apology. Is there anything else?" Snape asked as Heather let out a breath of relief.

"I just wanted you to know something else." Heather said as she repeated the necessary information to her professor.

 **Flashback:**

 **In the Chamber with Quirrell**

Heather entered the final chamber and was astounded to find the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Quirrell instead of the professor she had actually suspected, Professor Snape.

"You-?" Heather sputtered

"Me. I had expected you Potter. Poking your nose, where it does not belong." Quirrell replied.

"But, But, I thought it was Snape!" Heather said confused.

"Yes. Who would suspect p-p-poor Professor Quirrell with a st- st- stutter when Snape is there with his glower and intimidation?" Quirrell replied mockingly.

"But, Snape tried to kill me during the Quidditch match." Heather said.

"No, no. I was the one trying to kill you. Snape saved you." Quirrell said.

"And my traitorous servant will rue the day he decided to betray me by saving you." A voice whispered.

 **End Flashback**

"I thought it was just my imagination at that moment because there was no one else in the room with us. But at the Hospital wing, I realized it was Voldemort who said that as he was possessing Professor Quirrell. So I just wanted to er-" Heather hesitated again wondering how to phrase her thoughts without offending the man.

"You wanted to know whether I was a follower of the Dark Lord, so that you can gloat or that you can justify that you were in the right for suspecting me?" Professor Snape snapped harshly.

Heather took a step back at the anger coming off the Professor. "No Professor. It is not like that. I realized that you would have turned a spy as Professor Dumbledore said that he trusted you. What I meant was, well, I also realized that some of my classmates' family might have been followers of Him, so if I acknowledge the resolution of the debt in the Great Hall, that it might get back to Him, and that your life would not be in danger." Heather said in a rush.

Professor Snape paused for a moment as he processed the words Heather had uttered. He stared at the girl in bewilderment. Here was the daughter of his enemy, who had every right to hate him as he had been unfair to her from the moment he met her, trying to save his life. In that moment, Severus Snape understood that the girl was more like her mother (Lily was his best friend and was like a sister to him before their fight) than her father.

 **A/N: Just had this idea in my head for a long while. Hope you liked it. As always, Please review. And if anyone would like to continue this, as a multi chaptered story, go ahead. Either as a mentor fic or Severus/Heather pairing I would like to read.**

 **As for the rules if anyone decide to continue:**

 **-No Ron or Hermione Bashing**

 **-No Sirius Bashing. (father/daughter relationship between the two. Whether Siri had already blood adopted her or is going to after third year is your choice.)**

 **-If mentor fic, then please no pairing with Draco. If you want to pair her with a slytherin, go ahead with Blaise or Theo from their year or anyone else from older year. Just no Draco. They could resolve their issues and maybe have a sibling bond or just continue their rivalry.**

 **-if Heather has an inheritance, please don't make it astronomical or unbelievable. If you go for lord/ladyship, just Potter, Black and Gryffindor for Heather. Peverell is implied in the House Potter.**


End file.
